An important quote to start off with is one suggestion made by critic Annalee Ward:
“The link between the sacred and myth is important… for the primary myths from which The Lion King draws are religious, with roots in Biblical stories. They include the stories of paradise, the fall, desert wandering, the reign of Satan, the need for a saviour, and the cataclysmic destruction of the earth, followed by the return of the saviour who restores peace and the beginning of his full reign as rightful king…. Following in the Disney tradition, the film aspires to offer a positive lesson for children about behaviour that Disney values by associating itself with deeper myths" (Ward, 14).
[Quote discussed in Religion 3880 class, Dr. Porter retrieved from given citation: Ward, Annalee R. “The Lion King: Moral Educator through Myth, Archetype and Ritual,” in Mouse Morality: the Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002, 10-32. & all pictures are from Google Images].
Below enjoy a slide show that highlight scenes of Disney's The Lion King that exemplify the connections Ward mentions above: Paradise (as Pride Rock), the fall (Simba's disobedience leading to Mufasa's fall, and untimely death), desert wandering (Simba expelled from Pride Rock, forced to be a wanderer), reign of Satan (the reign of Scar, the backstabbing brother of Mufasa), need for a saviour/salvation (Nala finding Simba, needing a hero, Simba must be their saviour).
Below enjoy a slide show that highlight scenes of Disney's The Lion King that exemplify the connections Ward mentions above: Paradise (as Pride Rock), the fall (Simba's disobedience leading to Mufasa's fall, and untimely death), desert wandering (Simba expelled from Pride Rock, forced to be a wanderer), reign of Satan (the reign of Scar, the backstabbing brother of Mufasa), need for a saviour/salvation (Nala finding Simba, needing a hero, Simba must be their saviour).